What you need to know about .melbourne

Always wished you could have a location-targeted, unique domain name? The recent rollout of the new gTLD (generic top-level domain) .melbourne could be just the opportunity you were hoping for.

The new selection ofdomain extensions hitting the marketoffers businesses an unprecedented chance to craft unique domain names. Replacing more typical extensions such as .net and .com.au, the new gTLDs create the opportunity for you to turn your domain into an asset that works hard for you – and this is especially true when it comes to the .melbourne extension.

For many businesses, the ability to localise a domain name is an excellent opportunity. Highlight your roots within your community, show customers exactly where you're based and draw local custom – all with the help of a new .melbourne gTLD.

The benefits of unique gTLDs

Adding a new .melbourne extension to your domain name allows customers to locate your business within the global market. This can be very encouraging for people who are looking for products and services online and want to know they are dealing with a business that's well placed to serve them efficiently. The extension also allows you to celebrate your local culture and citizens and boost your association with a thriving community.

Place-name extensions such as .melbourne also have the added benefit of building trust. As people are already familiar with the names of big cities, they tend to feel more comfortable gravitating towards them. It's also possible that localised extensions like this will end up positively impacting your SEO rankings, as search engines use highly relevant URLs as one of the deciding factors when trawling a page.

Why you should register

Even if you are unsure about changing your domain name right now, it may be wise to purchase the .melbourne extension for your current domain. So if you're currently using www.greatname.com.au, you should buy www.greatname.melbourne too.

Just because you've registered an extension doesn’t mean you need to use it. However, by owning a domain with your current name and the new extension, you not only ensure that none of your competitors snap it up, you'll also have the ability to set up a redirect so that anyone who uses that extension will end up on your main site.

Register a .melbourne domain name

Securing a new .melbourne domain name through Netregistry is simple, affordable and safe. The .au priority period is now open, so if you have a .au domain, you are eligible to apply for the equivelant .melbourne domain. General availability begins in November.